PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit

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Splat
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2011/01/13 08:39:40 (permalink)

PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit

Hi

I'm looking PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit (one slot available) - it's a desktop. I want to spend $500 or less (preferably less).
Ideally an external plug in interface with a Mic input (phantom power), a guitar jack and MIDI interface would be good but I might not get everything for this price. Box does not have to be shipped with the sound card itself.

I'm avoiding USB/Firefire as I believe PCI will have better performance.
Can anybody direct me to a good site that reviews all the latest cards?
Can anybody throw any quick recommendations for more modern cards?

I need good driver support and ideally configuration with Sonar X1 should be as simple as possible.

Sorry for yet another "please recommend me a sound card" post.

Many thanks

Alex

post edited by CakeAlexS - 2011/01/13 08:58:29
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16 Replies Related Threads

    Guest
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/16 09:19:20 (permalink)
    Layla3G or a used Layla24. Solid drivers with 32 samples of latency on a decent system. Get the 24 and buy a decent pre for mics and instruments and you'll have a great system.
    #2
    Splat
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/17 11:34:42 (permalink)
    Thanks Top10, your advice has led me to consider getting a Gina3G as well!

    http://www.echoaudio.com/Products/Product_Comparison_Chart.php

    Does anybody have any other suggestions? It's got to work great with Sonar X1 and Windows 7/64 bit.

    Thanks

    Alex
    #3
    kson
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/17 12:42:50 (permalink)
    #4
    Splat
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/17 13:36:30 (permalink)
    Thanks Kson

    Hmmm no mention of Windows 7 64 bit support in the E-MU 1616m's blurb (just Vista). Do you know if it runs smoothly on Win7 64?

    Thanks.
    #5
    Splat
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/21 15:27:51 (permalink)
    Thanks for the advice... much appreciated. I investigated all the suggested cards and in the end I swallowed my latency concerns and move towards value for money/features/audio quality, and let's hope I wasn't wrong (I've got a pretty powerful PC)... so I decided to go for a Saffire PRO 40

    If I had more money have definately waited for FocusRites RedNet system (but that's not out till the summer).
    post edited by CakeAlexS - 2011/01/21 15:29:55
    #6
    Jim Roseberry
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/21 17:13:18 (permalink)
    Hi Alex,
     
    You can get into a FastTrack Ultra 8R for $499.
    Good sound... Hi-Z DI inputs for recording passive electric guitar/bass... low round-trip latency... and solid drivers
     
    At that price point, it's hard to beat...

    Best Regards,

    Jim Roseberry
    jim@studiocat.com
    www.studiocat.com
    #7
    AT
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/21 18:41:29 (permalink)
    Lynx 22 - it is more like $600 but is top notch for sound.

    https://soundcloud.com/a-pleasure-dome
    http://www.bnoir-film.com/  
     
    there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
    24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
    #8
    Fog
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/21 21:44:14 (permalink)
    Alex the problem with waiting for a soundcard.... it's like "watching a pot boil" as they say... I waited for RME's AIO for the best part of a year.. I got fed up and used something else as a stop gap, but now they can wait for my money.

    #9
    Splat
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/24 10:06:12 (permalink)
    Thanks guys.
    #10
    sven450
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/24 13:43:35 (permalink)
    Before its too late, one more plug for the Echo 3G PCI.  Rock solid with win 7 64.

    Sonar Platinum/Bandlab Sonar
    Roland Octa-Capture            
    Win 10 
    i7 6700  16 Gig Ram
    Some songs
    Covers:  https://soundcloud.com/cygnuss/sets/covers
    Originals:
     https://soundcloud.com/cygnuss/sets/originals
    #11
    Middleman
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/24 15:21:58 (permalink)
    If you can find a used Lynx IIA at the price, and I have seen them. It's the top of the heap.

    Gear: A bunch of stuff.
    #12
    timidi
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/24 16:26:29 (permalink)
    Aren't PCI cards on the way out? Replaced by PCIe? 

    Anyone know the advantages of PCIe over PCI in a DAW? Is it worth the $200-$300 difference?
    I've been eyeballing the RME cards, but the "e" option is kind of on the 'spensive side....


    ASUS P8P67, i7-2600K, CORSAIR 16GB, HIS 5450, 3 Samsung SSD 850, Win7 64, RME AIO.
     
    https://timbowman.bandcamp.com/releases
     
    #13
    timidi
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/26 09:40:48 (permalink)
    nudge

    ASUS P8P67, i7-2600K, CORSAIR 16GB, HIS 5450, 3 Samsung SSD 850, Win7 64, RME AIO.
     
    https://timbowman.bandcamp.com/releases
     
    #14
    AT
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/26 10:47:23 (permalink)
    timidi,

    PCI e is newer, therefore better, therefore more expensive?  Or maybe it ain't going to disappear from your next computer?

    ;-)

    https://soundcloud.com/a-pleasure-dome
    http://www.bnoir-film.com/  
     
    there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
    24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
    #15
    spacealf
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/26 13:42:57 (permalink)
    As far as I understand it, and I may be wrong, usually there is a full length PCI-e slot in a computer - usually for a video card faster than the one built into a computer if it has one. There is also a 1X instead of a 4X PCIe slot which some sound cards are made for. If you run the 1X PCIe small slot then your video card has to also run at 1X speed instead of the 4X speed that most computers can run the video card at. I think you have to have the same speed so to me, although it sounds great, a PCI card may be better because of that, and that is because of the way the motherboard is made into a computer - even the new ones that I looked at.

    I trying to get a USB card, but my computer may be slow a little bit, but then a new computer could handle that at the lowest latency rate or just about.

    I have a cheap, really cheap gaming card now which works in a PCI slot, but noise will build up with successive mutli-tracking (recording) probably just like anything else so the better the sound card the better the end result.

    It is all still like a multi-track old reel to reel unless you do it all in one take. Of course digital is better, but recording is always been the same as far as I understand. If the sound card is good enough, then it should not be too much of a problem for audio wave recording, so I guess MIDI is still perhaps quieter in the end, but really to me it is MIDI and always will be unless you spend more money on samples and whatever all that is.

    #16
    Jim Roseberry
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    Re:PCI Sound card for Sonar X1/Windows 7 64 bit 2011/01/26 15:48:46 (permalink)
    Running a PCIe audio interface will have no affect on the speed/performance of your video card.
    Put the PCIe video card in the full length 16x PCIe slot.  (Some mobos have more than one)
    A PCIe audio interface will work in a x1, x4, or x16 PCIe slot. 
    You'll see no better/worse performance (from the audio interface) based on the slot speed.
    All PCIe audio interfaces are currently x1 cards.
     
    Regarding PCIe vs. PCI audio interfaces:
    On a well configured machine, (using the RME Multiface-II as an example)
    You'll achieve the same level of performance whether using the PCIe... or the PCI controller card.
    IOW, Using the PCIe version won't buy you better performance, lower latency, etc.
    Performance is identical. 
    The PCIe bus is certainly wider... but you're not even close to saturating the PCI bus... so the extra speed is a moot point.
    The advantage a PCIe at this point is that it's going to have a much longer shelf-life.
     

    Best Regards,

    Jim Roseberry
    jim@studiocat.com
    www.studiocat.com
    #17
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